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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · kid · kick · field · saw · calf · object · key

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. key — the most important part
  7. kid — to tease
  8. field — farmland
  9. object — to protest
  10. field — for sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — in music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — child
  15. field — a subject
  16. kick — in football
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com